Thermal Paper Roll Holder and Dispenser

ABSTRACT

A wall-mounted, thermal paper storage device is provided having a substantially rectangular housing and a lower carriage member for supporting at least one vertical column of thermal paper rolls near a cash register point of sale. The device housing includes a front wall, a rear wall, and a pair of side walls forming an interior volume with an open upper and an open lower portion. Along the lower portion is a paper roll carriage formed from downward bar members curving into a cup-like support for paper rolls as they exit the housing lower portion, while the column of rolls in the housing rest against the supported roll in the carriage. The front wall includes a viewing window for visualizing the housing interior, while the rear wall includes wall mounts for mounting to a vertical wall surface. The housing interior preferably accepts two paper roll columns separated by a divider wall.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/624,845 filed on Apr. 16, 2012, entitled “Point of Sale Roller Dispenser.” The above identified patent application is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety to provide continuity of disclosure.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to wall-mounted paper roll holders and dispensers. More specifically, the present invention pertains to a new and novel point of sale thermal paper storage unit and dispenser for commercial establishments.

Thermal paper is a type of inexpensive printing paper utilized in most commercial cash registers for the purposes of printing receipts for customers at the point of sale. The receipt includes a tally of all purchases, their subtotals, and the final bill for a record of the purchase. The thermal paper provides the establishment with an inexpensive, readily disposable paper product for providing printed receipts for each client or customer during checkout.

Thermal paper itself comprises a coating of dye within a matrix that is heat activated, whereby the targeted application of heat causes the dye to become visible as it transforms to a colored state. Cash registers utilize this type of paper to print by way of a thermal printer, which utilizes a thermal print head to produce an image or set of text that becomes visible after heat application. The advantages of thermal paper include the relatively low cost of the paper and the elimination of printer toner. Printer toner cartridges would otherwise require continual replacement, and are therefore not suitable for extensive and repeated commercial use.

A common problem associated with point of sale locations and thermal printers is the frequency with which the rolls of paper need replacement as paper is consumed with each customer. Most commercial retailers, including groceries and product stores, provide customers with very long and detailed receipts that include not only the items purchased, but also a list of sale notices, coupons, and other literature for marketing and informational purposes. These long receipts, combined with the volume of customers, can result in considerable usage and consumption of thermal paper. Subsequently, these rolls require frequent replacement, whereby a fresh roll is located to replenish a fully consumed roll of paper within the cash register.

Frequent roll replacement with busy retail establishments can lead to inefficiencies at the point of sale, where the process of changing a thermal printer roll has the potential to result in excessive wait times or delays in check out as customers wait to purchase their items and leave the store. If these delays are excessive or too frequent, the retailer risks losing customers who lose interest or have no available time to wait while a cashier locates and replaces the cash register paper roll. Generally, replacement rolls are stored near the register itself to reduce the occurrence of excessive delays, but often there is insufficient space around the register to stack or store replacement rolls.

Therefore if a cash register depletes its roll of paper and no ready replacement is available, the cashier either has to leave his or her workspace to locate a replacement, request another employee to find a replacement, or shuffle through the adjacent area in search of a replacement. This is inefficient and a waste of resources, for both the retail owner and the customers at the point of sale.

To address this known issue existing at the point of sale, the present invention is provided as a means of storing a quantity of thermal paper rolls in a readily accessible storage area that can be located in close proximity to the cash register. The device comprises a dual-channel, vertically oriented and wall mounted structure that allows for ready access to replacement rolls when required. The device offers a storage compartment having two adjacent volumes to store two columns of thermal paper rolls, whereby the device is mounted in proximity to the point of sale for a cashier to rapidly access a replacement roll when a replacement is required.

2. Description of the Prior Art

Devices have been disclosed in the prior art that relate to paper roll holders and dispensers. These include devices that have been patented and published in patent application publications, and generally relate to toilet tissue paper holders and paper towel holders. No devices contemplate a thermal paper roll holder for use near a point of sale. The following is a list of devices deemed most relevant to the present disclosure, which are herein described for the purposes of highlighting and differentiating the unique aspects of the present invention, and further highlighting the drawbacks existing in the prior art.

Specifically, U.S. Pat. No. 7,726,515 to Sherman discloses a bath tissue roll dispenser comprising an elongated housing having at least two complete bath tissue rolls therein, an opening located adjacent to one of the housing ends, and a removable film over the opening to access the tissue rolls and allow them to be removed therethrough. The housing is comprised of a disposable paperboard material, whereby the device functions as a container and a means of dispensing tissue paper rolls after purchase of the assembly. Over the film may further be a removable flap that is separated from the housing along a perforated line of connection. The Sherman device comprises a disposable container and dispenser device for bath tissue rolls. While presenting a novel approach for supporting a roll of tissue paper, the Sherman device fails to disclose a dual-channel housing for supporting cash register thermal paper in a commercial setting.

U.S. Pat. No. 7,374,128 to Hendrix discloses a toilet paper dispenser and retainer comprising a substantially rectangular enclosure having an upper loading door hingedly attached to the enclosure and a lowermost access flap below the loading door. The access flap is also hingedly attached and further includes a slot thereacross, whereby a length of toilet tissue paper can be dispensed therethrough from an adjacent roll or rolls within the interior of the enclosure. Similar to the Sherman device, the Hendrix device is well suited for supporting and dispensing toilet paper tissue, but is not well designed for easy retrieval of entire rolls of thermal paper, as desired in the environment contemplated for the present invention.

U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2005/0199690 to Peterson discloses a rolled-paper product dispenser having a collapsible structure whereby a flat-folding housing provides storage for two front-to-back rolls of paper product. When deployed, the structure comprises a flat front, back, and side pieces with a vertical viewing window along the front and a dispensing aperture along the front. The device is suited for storing rolled paper towels and deploying the intact rolls from the interior of the device. The back of the device further comprises an overhang member for securing to the upper edge of a door in a doorway. Similarly to the aforementioned devices, the Peterson device fails to disclose the structure and intent of the present invention.

Finally, U.S. Pat. No. 5,197,611 to Walton discloses a gravity feed tissue paper roll storage device that comprises a tray for supporting a plurality of rolls at an incline, along with a stop member that abuts against the lowermost supported tissue paper roll. The device includes side members and a bottom forming an open tray having a stop member end. The device is mounted at a downward angle while supporting a plurality of rolls against the stop member and within the tray. While disclosing a novel toilet paper roll tray, the Walton device does not provide the capacity or functionality of the present thermal paper housing.

The present invention provides a storage means and dispenser for rolls of thermal paper that is adapted to be located in proximity to a retail establishment point of sale, whereby the replacement rolls of thermal paper are readily accessed for changing out cash register receipt paper during or between transactions. The device allows a plurality of rolls to be vertically stored within a housing mounted, whereby the rolls can be accessed from the lower portion of the housing and fed thereinto through the upper portion. It is submitted that the present invention is substantially divergent in design elements from the prior art, and consequently it is clear that there is a need in the art for an improvement to existing paper roll storage devices. In this regard the instant invention substantially fulfills these needs.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In view of the foregoing disadvantages inherent in the known types of paper roll storage devices now present in the prior art, the present invention provides a new thermal paper storage device that can be utilized for providing convenience for the user when storing rolls of replacement paper near the point of sale at a commercial establishment.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved thermal paper roll storage device that has all of the advantages of the prior art and none of the disadvantages.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a thermal paper roll storage device that supports a vertical stack of thermal paper rolls such that a cashier or retail employee can readily access a single roll from the device when replacing a roll on a cash register.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a thermal paper roll storage device that collocates rolls of thermal paper for organizational purposes, where the assembly can be placed adjacent to a point of sale to improve efficiency of cash register paper changes.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a thermal paper roll storage device that includes a vertical viewing window to visualize the number of paper rolls within the interior of the housing at any time without further inspection of the housing interior.

Other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTIONS OF THE DRAWINGS

Although the characteristic features of this invention will be particularly pointed out in the claims, the invention itself and manner in which it may be made and used may be better understood after a review of the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein like numeral annotations are provided throughout.

FIG. 1 shows a frontal perspective view of the present invention.

FIG. 2 shows a side view of the present invention.

FIG. 3 shows an overhead view of the present invention.

FIG. 4 shows a rear view of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Reference is made herein to the attached drawings. Like reference numerals are used throughout the drawings to depict like or similar elements of the thermal paper storage device and dispenser. For the purposes of presenting a brief and clear description of the present invention, the preferred embodiment will be discussed as used for storing reserve and replacement rolls of thermal paper for cash register machines at the point of sale for commercial use. The figures are intended for representative purposes only and should not be considered to be limiting in any respect.

Referring now to FIG. 1, there is shown a frontal perspective view of the thermal paper storage device of the present invention in a working state, supporting thermal paper 40 in its lowermost paper roll carriage 30 for a user to withdraw the rolls 40 when needed. The device is a wall-mounted storage device that supports a plurality of stacked thermal paper rolls 40 utilized in commercial establishments for cash register machine printing. The device comprises a housing 20 having a largely rectangular structure comprised of a front wall 21, a pair of side walls 22 and a rear wall 24 that enclose an interior volume for storing the rolls 40 of paper therein.

The upper 27 and lower 26 portion of the housing 20 is open for a user to access the housing interior for placement of paper rolls 40 therein and for the rolls 40 to exit the lower portion 26 and onto a paper roll carriage 30 for later retrieval. The rolls 40 are vertically stacked within the housing interior, where the interior of the housing 20 is preferably configured in a two-channel arraignment separated by a divider wall 25. The divider walls 25 separate the housing into a first and second half for two adjacent and vertical rows of paper 40 to be stacked therein. When the rolls are stacked within the interior of the housing, a user can view the number of remaining rolls therein through a viewing window or port hole in the front wall 21 of the housing.

The upper portion 27 of the housing allows a user to deposit the thermal paper rolls 40 therethrough and into one of the two channels within the housing 20, whereafter a hinged lid 23 covers the open upper portion 27 to protect the interior contents. The hinged lid 23 is sized to fit over the upper opening 27 and be hinged from one edge thereof, wherein a user can grasp a handle grip or finger hold to lift and pivot the lid 23 away from the opening 27 or thereover as desired.

Referring now to FIG. 2, there is shown a side view of the paper roll storage device of the present invention in its intended orientation. Highlighted in this view is the shape of the largely rectangular housing 20, which includes a planar back wall 24, side walls 22 and a front wall 21. The back wall 24 is adapted to be abutted against a vertical wall surface, wherein the device is secured thereto such that the housing 20 is wall-mounted and a user can approach the device and retrieve exposed rolls from the lowermost paper roll carriage 30.

The paper roll carriage 30 is an extended cup-like support for the paper rolls positioned below the lower portion 26 of the housing, whereby the carriage is substantially open to allow a user to freely grasp a replacement paper roll and remove it therefrom. Referring to FIGS. 1, 2 and 4, the carriage 30 is shown comprising a plurality of downward-directed bar members that curve into a concave, cup-like support that conforms to the outer profile of the paper rolls resting therein. The rolls freely fall from the device lower opening 26 and are nestled into the carriage support 30, whereby they are secured therein and prevented from falling onto the floor or becoming liberated from the storage device without assistance from an intended user.

The carriage 30 includes a plurality of horizontal bar members 32 that connected the downward and curving bar members 31, which a first and second end bar member 33 is situated on the lateral sides and across the opening of the of the cup-like carriage support. In this way, a portion of the paper roll cross sectional area as viewed from the roll side is positioned within the concave, cup-like support. The end bar members 33 form cord lines across the rolls, while the horizontal bar members extend across the frontal section of the rolls. In this way, the rolls of thermal paper are sufficiently supported and prevented from moving relative to the carriage 30, as the weight of the rolls and subsequent rolls pressing downward on the roll within the carriage from above work to maintain the deployed roll within the carriage.

Referring now to FIG. 3, there is shown a view looking downward on the storage device of the present invention. In this view, the upper opening is shown and the hinged lid 23 connected thereto is in an open state. The interior of the housing is shown, whereby rolls of thermal paper can be arranged in a vertical fashion and stacked therewithin. The interior is preferably sized to accommodate two columns of paper rolls while a divider wall 25 separates the two columns and ensures the rolls in different columns do not clash with one another as they are accessed and the rolls slide downward toward the lower openings 26 and the carriage therebelow.

Referring finally to FIG. 4, there is shown a rear perspective view of the present invention, wherein an embodiment of its wall mounting means is shown. In a preferred embodiment, the back wall 24 comprises at least one aperture 28 for accepting a wall anchor or nail, whereby the back wall 24 is supported along a vertical wall surface. Several wall anchors can be utilized to accommodate the weight of the housing 20 while also supporting the weight of several paper rolls stored therein.

When a cash register at a retail or commercial establishment runs out of available receipt paper during a transaction, the salesperson is required to replace the consumed roll of paper with a new roll while the customer waits. This can be a hassle and can annoy customers. Salespeople may have to search below the register in various drawers or on shelves to find the excess cash register (thermal) paper. Some stores may be set up where the salesperson has to ask the manager to go into an inventory room and get a new roll. This can exacerbate the wait time for a customer who wishes only to purchase his or her gather products and leave the store. Some salespeople may stack up rolls of tape on the counter, but this can take up space.

The present invention describes a thermal paper roll storage device for use storing replacement cash register receipt paper in proximity to the point of sale. The device comprises a wall mounted and substantially rectangular housing that has an internal volume sufficient for storing multiple rolls of paper. The device includes a viewing window along its front wall that permits a user to see inside the housing to determine the quantity of supplies remaining. The upper portion of the housing includes a hinged lid, while the bottom portion of the housing is open to permit the paper rolls to sit within a paper roll carriage for ease of accessibility. The present invention can provide salespeople with an easy way to store their register tape conveniently next to the register while reducing wait times for customers during these maintenance procedures. The device improves efficiency and reduces waste at point of sale locations using printed receipts for customers.

The present invention is therefore submitted that the instant invention has been shown and described in what is considered to be the most practical and preferred embodiments. It is recognized, however, that departures may be made within the scope of the invention and that obvious modifications will occur to a person skilled in the art. With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of the invention, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by the present invention.

Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention. 

I claim:
 1. A wall-mounted, thermal paper roll storage device, comprising: a substantially rectangular housing having a front wall, a first and second side wall, and a rear wall forming an interior volume with an open upper portion and open lower portion; said housing interior supporting at least one column of paper rolls therein in a vertical stack; a paper roll carriage extending from said open lower portion for supporting said at least one column of paper rolls below said housing open lower portion; said carriage comprising a substantially open, cup-like member having bar members that conform to the rounded outer profile of a paper roll; said back wall comprising a largely planar surface having at least one wall mounting means for supporting said housing along a wall surface.
 2. The device of claim 1, wherein said front wall further comprises a viewing window therethrough to view said housing interior.
 3. The device of claim 1, wherein said housing interior is adapted to support a first and second column of paper rolls, said housing interior further comprising a divider wall to separate said housing into a first and second channel for said paper roll columns.
 4. The device of claim 1, wherein said paper roll carriage further comprises: a plurality of downward bar members connected to said housing lower portion and having a curving shape to form a lower concave, cup-like support; a plurality of horizontal bar members connecting said downward bar members a first and second end bar member situated across two outermost downward bar members across said concave lower to form cord lines across a paper roll cross section positioned therein.
 5. The device of claim 1, wherein said housing open upper further comprises a hinged lid.
 6. The device of claim 1, wherein said wall mounting means further comprise apertures to accept a wall anchor or nail therein. 